



DCI Cheese Co., Richfield, Wis., has added two new flavors to its gourmet line of Great Midwest Jacks: Buffaloblue Jack and Ranch Jack. Buffaloblue combines the flavor of hot wings and blue cheese to create a unique Great Midwest Jack cheese. Ranch Jack custom blends the tangy ingredients in ranch dressing to deliver one of the creamiest Jacks ever.



Sidebar: Tillamook's Mac and Cheese Contest Back for Seconds
It's a year older and twice as big! Tillamook Cheese and McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants are poised to begin judging submissions for the 2006 Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Contest. Winners of local cook-offs in eight cities will mix it up (the ingredients, that is) for a chance to win $5,000, endless bragging rights and worldwide distribution of their winning recipe on the contest Web site.Following last year's success, the 2006 contest expands to eight cities: Tillamook, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. Cooks will submit their favorite original macaroni and cheese recipes, which will be evaluated according to unique use of ingredients, taste and overall creativity. Three finalists in each city will prepare their dishes from scratch for local celebrity judges and culinary experts, who will lift their forks and clipboards to choose the standout cheesy noodle dish. The winners will receive $1,000 in cash, 25 lbs. of Tillamook cheese and dinner for four at their local McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. The eight grand finalists will qualify to compete in Portland, Ore. in the grand final cook-off (all travel expenses paid).

Sidebar: Sargento Invests in New Look
Sargento Cheese, Plymouth, Wis., has a new look! The 52-year-old cheese company is at the forefront of creating new visual appeal in the cheese case. New Sargento packages, a uniform burgundy color scheme with scenic illustrations, are the result of a two-year research initiative to more deeply communicate brand identity. As a whole, the new color helps the package stand out at retail, making it easier for consumers to shop. Responding to consumer research that aided in the selection and refinement of the design system, the packaging also contains a larger window that helps showcase the all-natural cheese inside.
"Consumer research really opened the door for a more sophisticated and consistent approach," says Brad Flatoff, senior v.p. of marketing. "Our entry into owning the burgundy background is a great step forward, allowing a more unified brand block to take precedence."



